2channel founder hit for tax dodge

The founder of 2channel, the online bulletin board, has paid some ¥30 million in tax penalties after failing to declare around ¥100 million in income, sources close to the matter said Saturday.

Hiroyuki Nishimura, 36, said he handed over the bulletin board service to Packet Monster of Singapore in 2009. Since then, advertising revenue from 2channel collected by his Tokyo-based Internet-related firm has been transferred to Packet Monster.

The revenue surpassed ¥300 million between 2009 and 2012, and between 2009 and 2011 Nishimura received over ¥100 million in remuneration from Packet Monster, declaring it as his own income.

For 2012, Nishimura declared another ¥100 million in income, but the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau determined the remaining ¥100 million was also Nishimura’s income, the sources said.